Starting Small
I’ve always been the type to take on too much - to expect perfection when juggling more things than I could count (or sometimes keep track of). This quality extended throughout every area of my life from the time I was little. I tried parenting my siblings while I played, learning how to sing AND dance AND act all in the span of a few years, play sports (and play them well) while earning straight A’s and ALWAYS doing my chores on time.
As a freshman in college, halfway across the country from the only family I ever knew, that grind did not stop. I tried earning a degree in Chemistry (with minors in Physics in Criminology) while starting for the softball team, participating actively in multiple clubs, and making friends with people who would keep me from feeling so homesick. I tried to do it all. What I didn’t realize (until it was too late, unfortunately) that in my pursuit to do it all, I forgot about one of the most important things to focus on as an athlete trying to perform: my nutrition. My life moved so fast that it took me coming home for Christmas (the first time in 4 months), taking pictures with friends who I hadn’t seen in just as long, and ripping the seam of my only pair of jeans getting out of the car (yes - embarrassing…) for me to realize that over the course of my FIRST SEMESTER as a college student, the “Freshman 15” had found me (along with another 10…).
I had always been an active kid, and I had always had a fairly high metabolism. I never struggled with my weight - never even noticed my weight, honestly - until the moment when I realized that my normally 125 lb body was now carrying an extra 25 lbs around - day in and day out. It was at that moment that I did what everyone does after the holidays. I made a New Year’s resolution to get healthier. I knew what most people know when starting their journey toward better nutrition - vegetables and protein are good, desserts and fats (of some kinds) are bad.
When I got back to school, for the first time in my life, I made the resolve to do just a few things rather than doing it all. But I made damn sure I did them all well. Over the course of those 4 months in my second semester of college (and my first season as a starting collegiate athlete) I focused on a few simple rules:
One “cheat meal” and one “dessert” per week.
Protein and veggies above all else.
Work out (in a way that I enjoy) on top of practice, 4-6 days per week.
I did what I knew to be right at the time. I gave myself guidelines to follow (I’ve always been a great rule follower) and follow them I did. Within those 4 months, I lost 20 of the 25 lbs I had gained, and was in the best physical shape (performance-wise and aesthetically) I had been in to that point in my life. Making those commitments - and following through, showing myself that I had the power over how I looked, performed, and felt - were the start of my passion for and fascination with physical fitness and overall health.
Too often, people make the choice to improve their nutrition, and just like I always did, try to do too much. Lifestyle changes don’t have to be big - they just have to be consistent.
Eat vegetables or fruits with every meal.
Find lean protein sources you enjoy (and EAT THEM OFTEN).
GET MOVING in any way you enjoy
Half the battle is starting - the other half is continuing. The only way to ensure you don’t fail is by not quitting. The best way to ensure you don’t quit is by choosing sustainable, attainable goals.
Don’t be an Ashlyn (or a Connor, Kevin, or Wade) and try to do it all. Start small and see where it takes you.